1, 2 Chronicles (review)

Abstract

Hebrew Studies 38 (1997) 180 Reviews ter really "the supreme truth and guardian of human freedom" and the only thing which unifies culture (p. 149)? Another section of the book is perplexing. On page 132, Craig quotes Martin Luther's comment that he wished Esther and Second Maccabees did not exist at all because they "judaize too greatly and have much pagan impropriety ." Then Craig goes on to write, "His sentiment still finds expression today among both Jewish and Christian commentators." To what sentiment does he refer? Anti-semitism? The wish that these books did not fonn part of the canon? He does not say, but follows with quotations from Bernhard Anderson and Claude Montefiore which are apparently intended to support his assertion. The fonner was published in 1950 while the latter was published in 1899. Hardly "today." Craig is to be commended for the pioneering task of bringing Bakhtin and his important work to the reading of the Bible, and his insights into specific texts, especially those which concern the book's many reversals, are well worth reading. Tighter editing would have made this good book much better. David COller St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 1,2 CHRONICLES. By J. A. Thompson. The New American Commentary . Pp. 411. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1994. Cloth. This volume can only be evaluated in the context of the series in which it stands. The New American Commentary is subtitled "An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture." It is aimed at a popular, evangelical Christian audience. According to the editors' preface, all authors in the series "affinn the divine inspiration, inerrancy, complete truthfulness, and full authority of the Bible" (p. 7). Moreover, the perspective of the series is "unapologetically confessional and rooted in the evangelical tradition" (p. 7). The editors list two concerns which comprise the unique contribution of the NAC: its emphasis on the theological unity of each biblical book and of scripture as a whole as well as its conviction that the Bible belongs primarily to the church, so that each work in the series strives to provide practical, applicable exposition for a church setting. The Hebrew Studies 38 (1997) 181 Reviews NAC series uses the New International Version of the Bible, probably the most popular version in evangelical circles, as the basis for its commentary. Finally, the editors' preface explains that issues in contemporary scholarship and technical matters of grammar and syntax are generally relegated to footnotes, the text of the commentary being devoted to exposition. A 25-page introduction covers such topics as the name and place of Chronicles in the canon, textual witnesses, the Chronicler's sources, literary forms attested in the book, authorship, date, historical situation, theological themes and vocabulary, and an outline of the book's contents. Thompson treats Chronicles as a distinct work from Ezra-Nehemiah. He is vague about the date of the book, saying that it could have been written any time in the period 539-180 B.C.E., although he does hint at a preference for the fourth century. About half of the introduction is devoted to the list and discussion of the major theological themes of Chronicles, including "all Israel," the temple and worship, kingship, retribution and repentance, the popular response, messianism, and the repetition of historical patterns. The exposition that follows is well-organized, generally well-written, and easy to follow. It is ironic that this "American" commentary is written by an Australian scholar, particularly since there are a number of evangelical scholars in North America who have focused on Chronicles as their primary area of interest and expertise. One wonders whether this strategy was designed to put some distance between the work's audience and its author after the editors despaired of finding a qualified scholar who would be as conservative as they and their audience. The distance may account for the omission from the bibliography of certain works that might have altered or enhanced the author's treatment (e.g., R. Duke, The Persuasive Appeal of the Chronicler: A Rhetorical Analysis [1990] and M. Throntveit, When Kings Speak: Royal Speech and Royal Prayer in Chronicles [1987]). Thompson's conservatism is evinced primarily in his frequent...